Fly to Freedom
by KuraKitsune
Summary: An uproar in the Makai causes hundreds of demons to flee, including a grownup Shippo, Yoko, Kuronue, and even Yomi. What caused it? And what secrets lay within Kagome's mind. YYHINU YokoKagomeKuronue.
1. Just Fly

Hey, guys! Just bringing you wonderful readers a brand new story! Kage-chan will be thrilled, not to mention I am because my cable is working again! Yay, see it went out the other day and for some bizarre reason, it chose to come back in now. I'm not going to sit and contemplate it, I'm just going to update. And expect to see Secrets in His Eyes be updated either today or tomorrow. I have to finish one scene and then I'll post the next chapter. For now, I hope you enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: sigh Haven't we been through this many times before? Once again, I do not own YYH or Inuyasha...besides you can't own your mate, that's like slavery. Now come along Kuronue (pulls leash).

* * *

Just Fly 

Chapter 1

_Just run…_

Run?

_Run as swiftly as you can…_

Run where?

_Fly away, little bird…_

Fly? Little bird? He couldn't fly…could he?

_Let me protect you, my little one…as the wind will carry you to me…_

Of course. He was willing to let her protect him as long as she lived, provided she stay right here where she was, something which seemed pretty doubtful seeing as how her body was fading before his very, tear-filled, eyes.

_My arms will protect you should you fall…_

Yes…but who will protect you mother? Her eyes were closing, a sheen of fresh tears blocking him from seeing into her soul and trying to understand just what she was telling him. What was he supposed to do? Something was taking her away from him and he desperately clutched her to him with small, scrawny arms.

_Fly to me and be at peace, little bird…_

Oh…what was it his mother always told him, something about needing to look deeper to find true meaning?

_When at last the sun sets on the 500th year, I will be waiting for you._

Shippo had heard those words a few thousand times over, though they had only been spoken once through the clenched teeth of the only mother he remembered, the mother that had disappeared while he desperately tried to clutch her to him in a fit of unbridled rage. The only thing he had been thinking of while she was leaving him was that it was unfair, not to mention horribly cruel! He had lost his parents early on, including his much-beloved father, only to be discovered by a tiny miko who should have slain him the moment he tried to steal her jewel shards. Of course, Shippo found out minutes later, that it just wasn't in her to kill anyone, much less a demon. She loved all creatures the same and bore no hate towards anyone…well until Naraku came along.

No, instead of purifying him of his existence, the miko had assisted him, treating the many bumps and bruises he had collected (as well as the ones he had received from an arrogant hanyou) while trying to get back the shard the Thunder Brothers killed his father for. It had only taken that one crucial meeting for him to discover that this miko, _his_ miko, was indeed very unique. She possessed an almost otherworldly air about her, which was brought to life when she willingly told him of her life on the other side of the well. That said a lot, seeing as she was very hesitant to expose her family to any kind of danger. And much to his surprise Kagome had treated him just like any normal child…her child…caring for him and loving him as his absent birth mother should have done, instead of running away when taking care of a family got too tough. Shippo owed her more than his life; instead he owed her a lifetime of love and commitment she should only receive from those who truly loved her as she is.

And it killed him to think of her in this moment, not that he didn't enjoy bringing to life the vision of the mother who had so willingly protected him throughout their magical journey those many centuries ago when he was still a young kit. After all, he would be with her soon. It had been 500 years since she had departed from him, his tiny arms unable to keep her with him, while something had torn her away and forced her back to her own time. And yet now, years after he had heard her whispered pleas, he finally understood everything she'd prophesized.

It was in those final moments that she had uttered those fateful words through pain-filled gasps that left her barely able to breathe. Her eyes had gone foggy and for a moment a much younger Shippo feared she had died, however the words spoken next would continue to inspire, as well as haunt, him throughout the next few centuries until the dreaded 500 years were up…which was today. The sun was setting, the sky turning from pink into a dark purple. He had to hurry if he wanted to find the weakness in the barrier. He was sure if he missed it there would be no other chance to escape the Makai and find his mother.

Zip! Bang! A blue beam of light clipped one of his tan-colored ears, a perk after a major growth spurt, and a tree went up in flames beside his head as the rusty-colored kitsune flew forward, chanting the words his mother left him with, urging him onward until he would finally be with her again, back in her arms, back…where there was no place safer.

_Mother…I'll be with you soon._

Shippo picked up speed and ignored the shots floating about his head, running towards his freedom.

_Just fly.

* * *

_

"Don't these guys ever give up?" Kuronue growled as shots of blue light passed dangerously close to his head, crashing into trees and other wildlife that just happened to be in the way. All around him demons fled, though he and his partner were among the select few to attract more than one pursuer. And for once, Kuronue was glad he had such awesome wings, since they propelled him forward at a much higher velocity than a normal demon. Normally they were large and tended to get in the way, especially if he were trying to be sneaky. But today, he was ever so grateful and would have considered kissing them if he wasn't too busy running for his life.

Beside him a silver kitsune who had no trouble keeping up with the fast pace, placed his hands on top of his head and felt the tip of his right ear, where a shot had nicked him earlier. If he had moved just a scant few inches to the right, his head might have been blown clear off his body. Just thinking about it caused a deep growl to emanate from deep within Yoko's chest cavity and he moved faster, keeping in perfect rhythm with his best friend.

"Rose Whip!" Yoko cried, jumping and spinning when he sensed movement to his left, destroying 5 of his pursuers all in one bloody row, Kuronue ducking underneath the vines and urging his weapon into the chest cavity of a man who seemingly came out of the ground, face still a mask of grim victory while his head left his body and was smashed underneath Yoko's foot.

"Damn it!" Yoko's face transformed into an angered scowl as he thought of all the blood and guck he was going to have to clean later. There were even more 'goodies' meshed within the sticky strands of his sweat-soaked hair and bangs. How he wished he could stop this nonsense and take a bath.

"We have to get out of here!" Kuronue called to Yoko over the rush of the whistling wind. Inside his chest his heart was racing and the adrenaline was pumping something ferocious as his strong legs propelled him onward. "Or else I don't know how long we can keep this up. They've been chasing us for hours now and there's no telling how many more there are. With their type of power, we can't even sense them until they're right upon us." Kuronue gave a grunt as he unexpectedly moved in front of Yoko, blocking a shot headed straight for his partner's heart. His legs moved quickly, the muscles slightly protesting and beginning to wear from all the running, dodging, and leaping he'd done that day. The protective vest on his chest did well to keep him from getting harmed, however the material was beginning to fall apart from the beating it had already taken.

Because of the many years of living with Kuronue, Yoko was able to think on his feet and avoid plowing into his friend's back, instead moving to the side and nodding to him, ever so grateful Kuronue enchanted his clothes with special, protective spells. Maybe he should ask Kuronue to make him some armor and clothes like the kumouri wore. They would be a bit heavier, but they would serve their duty.

Yoko gave a gasp as a shot slammed into his right shoulder, tearing the muscle in his right arm to shreds, blood pouring out from the sudden gash. His concentration was broken as he turned to look at the wound in disbelief, while Kuronue simply latched onto his friend and pulled him along. There would be time enough to treat their wounds later…if they survived that is. However Kuronue was a skilled warrior and would not accept death's claim on him. Oh, sure, he and Yoko were marked demons (meaning wanted by bounty hunters, dead or alive) however he was trained remarkably well and would not allow himself to fall to some stupid spirit soldiers.

All of a sudden, a wall of fire went up around both demons and for a few seconds both feared the worst…that is until they heard the tortured shrieks of their adversaries. A tiny breech in the fire and they were through, being pulled to safety by a sandy-haired kitsune who looked quite a bit younger than them, though only by a few years. He was grown, certainly, but he was still young in kitsune terms.

Yoko opened his mouth to demand answers when the other kitsune shot him a despairing look, tossing his fiery locks behind his head and fleeing, the two bandits having no choice but to follow in the younger kitsune's trail. "Don't ask questions," he urged, "just run." Yoko watched in awe as the rusty kitsune spun around and continued blasting fire ball after fire ball, some shots colliding with the light blue of the ones meant to take their life. The three demons continued their race towards freedom, all the while attacking or dodging in turn. It was obviously wearing heavily on the younger kitsune, as he was breathing quite raggedly, eyes frantic in worry and pain. He too had many wounds, cuts, and abrasions and his fire became less and less powerful the more his energy drained.

"This way!" Shippo called, zigzagging through the trees and approaching a spot in the barrier he knew to be weakened slightly. If he used just enough energy to break it, he could save himself as well as these guys. He had no idea why he was saving them, as it was unlike him to trust many others. He had remained solitary throughout the years, not wanting to risk exposing his existence. He knew someone had ruthlessly torn his mother away for a reason. It was just as well that he remain hidden so that her enemy could never find him. However, one of them was a kitsune and his race was dying out from being hunted for their gorgeous fur. And his mother seemed to enjoy saving others, so why not follow in her footsteps? If they turned on him later, she would simply kill them. When it came to himself, his mother loved him something fierce and no force on earth could be saved from her wrath should he come to harm.

Yoko and Kuronue exchanged a curious/suspicious glance, wondering why they were still following the stranger. Certainly they could have gotten through this by themselves. But who were they to not take advantage of a helping hand? After all, it was better than the alternative. They'd rather deal with another kitsune than the damned spirit assassins.

_That's it! _Shippo exclaimed excitedly in his mind. Just a step closer and he could visibly see the swirling colors of the golden barrier which stood between him and his mother, the Makai and the Ningenkai. Stopping in his tracks, Shippo nearly caused a fatal collision, however Yoko and Kuronue had fast reflexes and managed to stop them selves from running him into the ground.

"What are you doing?" Kuronue demanded, expression one of startled bewilderment, eyes darting in all directions and occasionally swinging his scythe when one of their pursuers came too close for comfort. He gave a loud growl when a shot of blue whizzed by his head and cut a few strands of his pure raven hair. His mouth dropped open as several strands fluttered to the ground.

"Oh, shit," Yoko muttered, recognizing the look in her partner's eyes when they started flashing red. Kuronue was about to break. When it came to their hair, no one messed with it.

Sure enough, the kumouri let out an angered cry and his weapon soon followed, tearing through the approaching enemies cleanly and making satisfying crunches and interesting, squishing sounds as it connected and struck them down with years of skill and mastery. Yoko also had his whip out, though through an advanced technique he hadn't used in years he had been able to set his vine aflame; so instead of it shriveling up like most plants would, this particular vine was able to withstand any type of heat or fire.

Shippo paid them no mind, strangely trusting them to keep the assassins off his tail, while he lifted his hands and went to work on causing a breach in the barrier. Almost immediately the barrier tried to purify him, singing his hands slightly, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. The golden barrier was designed to completely purify any demon that made an attempt to get past it, however Shippo had bonded to Kagome at a very young age, and because of her unique powers and their close bond, he was able to live with very strange abilities. Purification had almost no affect on his body, other than a slight burning sensation.

Kuronue who had glanced behind him briefly when he felt the flare of magic, went to shout out a warning to the kitsune and almost dropped his jaw when he saw what Shippo was doing. The kitsune was actually breaking through the barrier. His hands were turning a light blue color as the magic raced through his body and effortlessly began expanding a hole until it was the size of a human body. Shippo's eyes bled red and he fought to sustain the hole, finding the barrier more difficult to breach than he thought it would, yet he pushed onward and slowly, but surely the hole expanded even more until a demon body could pass through with perfect ease and without threat of purification.

"Go through," Shippo gritted out when he noticed the incredulous stares he was receiving. "Go through now! It's the only way. Quickly!"

"Are you mad! That thing will purify us the moment we cross!" Yoko exclaimed eyes wide as he studied the hole in quiet thought. It was remarkable what this young kitsune had done and at another point in time he would have given anything to know the secret behind the young kit's strange powers, however Yoko's sharp mind processed that this was not the time and that his feet should be moving real soon.

"It won't," Shippo assured them. He raised his head and locked eyes defiantly with Yoko, an almost unspoken dare rising to the surface between them. After a long, tense moment Shippo stopped glaring, however his face never lost the gruffness. "Trust me, please." His eyes implored them to understand that he was not trying to kill or harm them. He was trying to take them some place safe, some place where they could rest and heal their wounds and perhaps think and find some answers.

"Just go!" Another deep voice echoed, interrupting the stand-off, stepping forward and pausing to glance at Yoko and Kuronue before walking elegantly through. Yoko briefly recognized the black blur and growled in his mind. What the hell was Yomi doing there? Was he being targeted by the assassins as well? And who would be powerful enough to force out a demon of Yomi's strength? From what Yoko had been able to gather, Yomi was just settling into his new role as a lord. Yoko was truly puzzled by this turn of events, his overworked mind desperately seeking some kind of revelation to the turmoil rocking the Makai. "Come on!" Yoko blinked when he felt the blind demon's claws scratching his wrists and simply allowed himself be pulled along when Yomi reached back through the hole and forced the silver kitsune to move.

Shippo urged Kuronue in after both demons, a bit worried about saving another demon he didn't know, yet he was more concerned about himself at this particular moment. With a push and an agitated growl from Shippo, the kumouri went tumbling after his friend and the ex-bandit, turned lord, Shippo following soon after and disappearing through the doorway into the other world, the world in which his mother resided. She would be waiting for him. He knew she would be. After all, she must have known something was going to happen. Otherwise she wouldn't have given him that warning all those years ago. His heart rate sped up with his nervousness over seeing her again and the bounce that developed in his stride continued carrying him forward…and back into his mother's life. He was so excited about seeing her again that Shippo failed to realize just how much energy he had lost by breaking through the Makai's barrier. His beautiful, though tired, aqua eyes fluttered closed and the last thing he remembered was falling against a silver-clad chest and a strong arm wrapping around his neck, several voices telling him he needed to stay awake.

* * *

She was waiting…just like she promised. The blue and white robes that fluttered around her seemingly delicate legs continued to dance with the soft breeze. _Ah, the calm before the storm_, she thought forebodingly. It was such a nice night too; a beautiful night which would soon be lost to her and drowned out by a war almost 200 years in the coming. The priestess sat very still, eyes closed as she enjoyed the last few moments of peace she would know for quite some time. She allowed the feeling to fill her soul with hope, her mind unwilling to cope with the consequences should she fail in her upcoming task. The bow she held in her hands lay docile across her lap, the white wood glistening in the brightness of the moon's glow. Her fingers moved of their own accord and wrapped around the smooth contours of her beloved weapon. It was hard to believe such a delicate-looking tool was capable of such strength; however even after all these years and after the many weapons she had trained with, the bow was still her weapon of choice. She had mastered it years ago and it was almost as precious to her as her little Shippo…well not quite, but close. 

A small, peaceful smile slid across her serene face and she tipped her head back, allowing her eyes to blink open and her hair to glisten in the moonlight as her face lit up with inner happiness as she allowed herself to remember the young kitsune she had befriended and then later adopted as her dear son. She wondered what he looked like now, if he had grown even more handsome than the last time she'd seen him. Would he still grin at her impishly, the way he did as a child? Or would he be serious and poised…like say Sesshomaru? Somehow, Kagome couldn't picture anyone else with as much dignity and grace as the great Lord of the Makai, much less her son. She gave a slight giggle as she tried to picture Shippo acting like Sesshomaru, the giggles transforming into full blown laughter with the ridiculous notion.

Almost as quickly as it came, her laughter faded away until she was sitting as still as before, all traces of happiness and peace dissipated.

Only the small burning sensation that tingled on her right shoulder blade and upper arm, alerted her to the presence of a demon. And not just one, there were…one…two…three...four altogether and there seemed to be some other beings as well, though they were not of demonic origin. Kagome growled lightly, recognizing Shippo's energy signal almost instantly. Even after all these years he still felt the same only now he possessed ten times the strength he had in the Feudal Era. There was only one other demon she recognized, but for the life of her she could not put a name to the demon behind the signal. The last two demons she did not know, though her son's energy did not seem to be in any danger from them. Instead, it almost felt as if his energy was protecting the others, guiding them to her. However, something was causing great pain and anguish to reside in him and she knew exactly what that something was…or rather, who they were.

Kagome stood and waited patiently, robes swaying as she walked forward and disappeared into the shadows. It was time.

* * *

"Come on, kit, stay with me," Yoko murmured to the younger kitsune, currently slung between him and Kuronue. The rusty-colored kit was losing color in his face and his eyelids kept sliding closed. 

"Not…a kit," Shippo muttered and fought to keep himself conscious, if only to prove to the other kitsune that he could be just as strong.

Despite the seriousness of the day, Yoko couldn't hold back a small chuckle. "You okay…kit?" Yoko chuckled once again when the younger kitsune raised his head and glared, though his face was slightly strained. He turned away from the angered, half conscious kitsune and found himself staring at the back of his former partner. Almost against his will, his hands clenched into fists and he fought not to throttle his former partner. Although they'd settled their differences many years ago, there was still an instinctive distrust between the two and Yoko was pretty sure Yomi was a tad jealous of Kuronue. After all, Yomi had only been one of his many men and Yoko had only chosen to send him on easy missions, whereas Kuronue was much more talented than Yomi ever was or could be. Kuronue was a true friend and was the only one Yoko trusted fully. The kumouri was also very, very good at what he did.

"How you holding up?" Kuronue asked when their eyes connected and met over Shippo's head. Yoko shot his friend a tired sigh and ran a talloned hand through his ratty hair.

"I've been better," he confessed. "You?" His eyes trailed over his partner's form, satisfied when he could find no life threatening injuries.

Kuronue simply shrugged his shoulders, slumping with exhaustion. "Fine. But we better get this guy some place safe. And speaking of safe places…where in the hell are we? Are we really in the Human Realm? Shouldn't we have died the instant we tried to pass?"

Yoko glanced around, slightly curious, noticing that there were some strange sights and smells. Luckily, there didn't appear to be any humans wandering about, perhaps because the lateness of the day, so that was a plus for them. Surprisingly, it was the young kitsune who answered.

"Yes, we're in the human realm," he confirmed, drawing attention from all three demons. Yomi continued to walk forward, only the slight turn of his head indicating he was listening.

"Why are we here?" Yoko asked. "And how did we make it past the barrier without melting?"

Shippo considered answering, but truth be told, he really had no answer, at least where the others were concerned. He knew whyand how he was here. But why had he chosen to save the others when he could have easily left them behind? Ah, well, too late to worry about that now.

"Halt!" A loud voice shouted and Yoko cursed his self for not feeling the spirit soldiers following them. He should have known they would be able to get into the human realm. They worked for Reikai after all and the Reikai could send them where ever they wanted.

All four demons stopped in their tracks, finding themselves surrounded on all sides. A green-haired man took center stage as he stepped forward, a cruel sneer on his pale face. "Yoko Kurama and Kuronue…so I've finally caught you. You know you two are really hard to track. Too bad for you, I am a master at tracking criminals such as yourselves."

Yoko and Kuronue growled at the man's conceited tone, but the green-haired assassin simply ignored their anger and smirked at Yomi, bowing condescendingly.

"Lord Yomi, it is a pleasure to meet you. Lord Enma sends his unfortunate regards." Yoko was surprised at how well Yomi maintained his anger. In the past, Yomi had possessed quite a temper, which was one of the reasons Yoko had forced him out of his clan. _Well, what do you know? _He mused._ Maybe Yomi learned something after all._

The assassin looked confused to see Shippo, however he foolishly chose to dismiss the younger kit. "I don't know who you are, kitsune, but I'm afraid all four of you will be coming-"

"We will not," Yomi interrupted and stepped elegantly forward, intent on breaking through the circle surrounding them. Two men stepped in front of him and attempted to stop the lord, intent on departing from the scene. "You cannot leave, sir, you must stay," one of them spoke up bravely.

Yomi turned his head and glared through unseeing eyes, allowing his power to swell a bit until it washed over them. His horns glistened and his ears twitched as he took in the slight increase in their breathing patterns, an indication that they were afraid of him and his power. Their eyes widened as they felt the lord's overwhelming power and both trembled nervously in front of the great lord. No one had informed them how powerful these demons were. They were simply deemed dangerous and supposed to be killed or placed in Spirit World custody. "And who will stop me?" Yomi scoffed. "You two? Please."

"Me neither," Shippo spoke up, eyes open and fully alert. "I'm not going anywhere until I find what I am looking for."

His power was weak at the moment, however his mother had always taught him to be strong in the face of danger. The circle of assassins laughed at the young kit's bravery.

"And just what could you be looking for the in the Human World?" The aqua-haired assassin speculated as all eyes directed to Shippo. "Jewels…paintings…riches?"

"I'm not a thief!" Shippo countered sharply. "And I never said anything about stealing anything. If you must know, I am searching for my mother. And right now you are keeping her from me!" Shippo's anger was about maxed out and he knew his eyes were flashing in rage. The pressure and the danger were beginning to get to him and the only thing he wanted was to be in his precious mother's arms. As far as he was concerned, anything else in his way could just go to hell. "So get…out…of MY…WAY!" Shippo shrieked and threw his hands up; generating enough power to obliterate everything in the nearest vicinity should he be forced to release the blast. He was about to blast every one of those assholes who kept his mother from him when a strong, feminine voice boomed out over his anger.

"SHIPPO!"

Shippo stopped what he was doing, the power he had conceived leaving him in a blink. His eyes stopped flashing and they faded into their normal aqua color.

"Shippo," she called again, though this time it was much softer and her voice seemed to be much closer.

Shippo turned his head and for the first time in exactly 500 hundred years, saw the face of his beloved mother as she hurried towards him with tears in her eyes, anger on her face, and a welcoming smile on her lips. For a moment Shippo feared her anger was directed towards him…until it registered that her eyes were shining; shining with adoration. She wasn't angry at him. She was angry at the assassins. She still…she still loved him. The love shining in his mother's eyes, leftthe kitsune momentarily breathless.

Shippo took no notice of anything else at this point; the confused awe of Yoko and Kuronue, the spirit assassins beginning to unfreeze after their terrifying brush with death. Even Yomi had stopped his progression and was staring at the new arrival with curiosity and, strangely enough, recognition. However, Shippo lifted his head and flew forward just as she'd warned him to do, sure that when he fell into her arms she would catch him just as she'd always done, just as she'd promised and as she would continue to do now that she was _his_ once again.

* * *

Well, that's it! What did ya'll think? Let's see, what can I tell you about this story or answer some questions that might arise? Kagome, if you haven't figured it out, was forcefully pulled out of the past. Why, who, and how are just some questions you may have, though I will not answers those specific ones now, since I would give away the plot. However, I can tell you that Kagome has ties to the Spirit World, I just can't tell you what kind of ties. That, too, will also come about later. Why did Yomi recognize Kagome? And why is he there in the first place, well he too was forced out, however there are a few factors that he already knew ahead of time. You will find out what those are later. Um, let's answer some simple questions. Yes, Shippo is grown up; fully, I suppose, though I do believe he is still younger than Yoko and Kuronue; Yoko, for sure. Kuronue's age is anyone's guess, however it just makes sense that Shippo would still be younger than the two even though he's never met them before. Also, keep in mind thatShippo kept to himself during his alone time. He didn't venture out and make friends. His presense was hidden so he knows almost nothing about thewell-known figures of the Makai. Um, I can't think of anything else you guys might ask, though I suppose the pairings are the same as always; Kuronue/Kagome/Yoko. I believe Shippo will have a mate later on, though I haven't decided who it's going to be yet. Perhaps you guys can review and suggest a mate for Shippo. I promise to take anything into consideration. Also, any other questions that I didn't answer will be answered in my livejournal. Well, I think that's all. I hope this was up to my normal standars. Hope you guys enjoyed it and remember to review! 

Ja ne.

Kura

P.S. This is dedicated to Kage-chan, not only for being my one true sister at heart, but also because she was the first one to see this story. I also haven't been able to talk to her in a few days because of the cable situation, so this is to make up for missing her. So you all should give her credit for inspiring me topost this.


	2. Meet Mother

Yay! I finally finished another chapter. It hasn't been that long, has it? grins guiltily Yeah, sorry I have no excuses except that I work a lot. Of course in my down time I normally write, but I just haven't been in the mood lately. I've been more interested in reading than writing I guess. But here it is, I hope it's good enough. Hope you all enoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything...besides my mates of course. Come on boys, time for dinnerleads Kuronue and Yoko away with leashes...blinks innocently What, they like it I swear! See, Yoko's kinky this way.

* * *

Chapter 2

Meet Mother

Kagome had an idea of what was going on the moment she spotted her son, his murky, turquoise eyes half-closed and his power expanding and overwhelming the masses with its intensity. She knew he'd heard her when his energy stopped expanding at such an intense level and she simply opened her arms as his power faded, and he looked directly at her. His aqua eyes burned like fire as he caught site of her and bolted, ramming into her chest and colliding with a solid thump. Shippo's adult form nearly caused her to fall over, but she managed to stay upright, absorbing her son's energy and enjoying having him back in her arms again. Kagome's eyes bled tears of joy as she finally, finally had her son back where he was supposed to be, where he should have been all along. At long last, she had found her son.

"Momma," Shippo whispered softly, arms crushing her to him and head buried in her soft, supple neck. His eyes were literally dripping with tears which fell translucently onto her strong shoulders, both mother and kit desperately clutching each other, grieving for lost time. "I missed you so much." Shippo's voice came out in soft panting whines and he could scarcely breathe because of the emotion clogging his throat canal.

"I missed you too, my little kit," Kagome whispered soothingly to him, one hand coming up and stroking through his thick, messy locks. She mentally smiled and reminded herself to give him a proper hair cut at a later date. Not that she didn't love Shippo's long, coarse hair or the way that it felt beneath her fingers, of the way it smelled so heavenly; no, it would just make her feel better to do something she should have been doing all along…as his mother. "Now dry your tears, Shippo, you are home to stay. You don't have to worry anymore, because we have finally found each other at least and I can continue taking care of you for the rest of our lives." She raised his head and cupped his cheeks, aware that there were several pairs of eyes regarding the duo curiously. "Yours and mine."

It had been long…so long ago since the Reikai had forced her home and away from her son. She was relieved that he remembered the warning she had given him that terrible day when she was yanked away from him. It only caused her to love him more and it just showed the enormous depth of their relationship. Unlike Inuyasha, who had never had the patience to listen to anything foreboding she had to say, Shippo had been taught to always take heed the warnings of others, even if they never came true. And apparently he trusted her words above all others, a thought that had her smiling all over again.

She locked eyes with her son again as he smiled a happy smile and lifted one of his hands to brush her own joyful tears away. Mother and son stood totally immersed in each other's glow and liveliness, happy to have finally found their hidden sanctuary. However, the moment was short lived.

"Mother," Shippo whispered, just as an energy ball careened directly into his back, sending clothing and pieces of flesh and blood flying. Shippo suddenly took a gasping breath and slumped against her chest, eyes sliding closed and body losing all trace of energy or joyful exuberance. Her jaw dropped and she growled loudly when she lifted her head and braced her unconscious son using the left side of her body, eyes moving up briefly and catching sight of the deadly assassin who had dared shoot her son…and in the back no less! She recognized him instantly and fought not to throw up when she spotted the ever present smirk and confidence shining in his arrogant, black eyes; eyes that were as black as his heart. The fool had dared harm her son and he would more than pay for all the misery he had brought her. For it was _his_ fault she was torn so brutally away from her son, _his_ fault that she wasn't able to stay and raise him as a mother should or bring him back to meet the other members of his adoptive family. Fire burned in her cruel, suddenly silver depths. Oh yes, he would pay dearly for everything he had stripped her of.

Kagome set her son down gently and cast one more adoring look at him, brushing his long bangs off his face, relieved that he would be fine with rest. He was so exhausted, not to mention there would be a huge bruise on his back from the deadly force of the attack; but he would live. She had made sure that no purification attacks could kill him, even with an attack like that one. Her blood made it virtually impossible for her son to die in that manner, so she wasn't too concerned at the moment knowing that she could heal him later and he would be fine. At last she stood, back straightening, head facing the opposite direction from where everyone stood. Her head turned and her face was instantly black as she set about reaching for a single arrow off the quiver on her back, stringing it and walking forward until she stopped several paces away from the aqua-haired assassin. She straightened her bow, her arm and her stance and pointed it directly at his heart, smirking when he lost some of his cool confidence. After all, he alone knew how deadly she could be with her weapons, especially her bow.

"Kagome," he bowed mockingly to her, just as he'd done to Yomi minutes before. Kagome was pleased to note the fear resonating in his haunting eyes when she picked up the pace and continued striding towards him, arrow still trained on the center of his heart. She nodded once to Yomi, briefly recognizing him, and he moved to the side, allowing her to pass him by. Out of the corner of her blue-black eyes, she noticed a kitsune start slightly, however minute the movement was and she had no idea why. The glossy, raven-haired kumouri at his side had one arm bracing his friend, supporting the silver's weight, both probably injured from their flight from the Makai. She would tend to them later, provided they didn't turn on her and become an enemy. But she would worry about that later. Presently, she had another enemy to pursue and interrogate, possibly destroy if she had the time. So she ignored both unknown demons for the time being and walked with sturdy, confidant strides until her arrow head was pressing into his skin, directly above his heart. She grudgingly gave her old adversary credit for standing so still when she could easily 'pull the trigger' so to speak. His eyes were cold and his face was a mask of pride and benevolence, not allowing her to see or feel any amount of tension. His confidence would be his undoing one day.

"You will leave," she told him through gritted teeth. "Or so help me Kami you will be begging me to take your life by the time I am through torturing your worthless carcass."

The assassin scoffed, but she could clearly see the muscles working in his throat as he gulped back a nervous breath. "You won't kill me," he tried to reassure himself, but the small smirk that slid across her milky face rattled him greatly. He was getting better at hiding his reactions, but Kagome could still see the slight hesitant backing of his feet and she knew he would run if given the chance. He was just that type of coward.

"Are you so sure of yourself?" Kagome questioned him, tongue in cheek. "You alone know of my past. Would you doubt me after everything you've seen me do, after everything we've been through together, and after everything you put me through? After all," she leaned in close until she was only a breath away from his ear, "you are the one who trained me. And didn't you know that the student _always _surpasses the sensei?"

Even with their superior hearing, neither Yoko nor Kuronue could hear the miko's last few words. All they knew was that she was about to kick some ass and it looked like it wouldn't be there's. But because of his impressive hearing, Yomi was able to hear everything that was being said and he gave a start upon hearing the priestess's words.

True, he had only met her a few times, through of her association with a certain King of Makai, however weird that relationship was, and yet each time he tried to speak with her she was so incredibly difficult to read, not to mention as secretive and as illusive as his ex-partner. It didn't help that she was able to mask her breathing and bodily signals so that his ears could not pick up any change in emotion. It was a big disadvantage when working with a priestess, especially when said priestess made it no secret of just how powerful she was...not to mention how powerful she can be when she was angry enough to kill. It made sense, he supposed, to learn that she had once worked for Reikai, seeing as she was a priestess. He reasoned that she must have been recruited, though at a very young age. After all, that's the way the Spirit World worked. Corrupt the young while they're young; that was their policy. And yet, here she was threatening her old trainer, obviously defending the young kitsune who had been so brutally attacked. Not to mention, she had made no attempt to harm him or any of the other two thieves. She could have obliterated their very existence with a single thought, although it probably would have been a bit harder seeing as how he, Yoko, and Kuronue weren't your every day run of the mill low class. He wondered what could have caused her to break away from the Reikai, though. After all, it was a known fact that Enma was very picky about who he put in his top ranks. And he had a great many loyal followers, despite the cruel way he ruled over his ranks and people.

Yomi broke off from his inner musings when he noticed Yoko's energy sliding in his direction, his companion Kuronue ambling along behind him, although at a much slower pace. Yomi's immediate reaction was to clench his hands into fists, simply to stop his self from throttling his ex-partner. No matter that he had chosen to forgive Yoko all those years ago, simply because he understood exactly why he had been tossed aside and sent on a suicide mission; but his pride still ached from the loss of his sight.

"What do you want?" Yomi drawled when he felt the silver kitsune's eyes on his person, staring at him peculiarly and he instantly recognized the weight of that one look. It was one the kitsune often wore when he was contemplating something or trying to figure out a puzzle. Yoko wanted answers and he wanted them now, other wise his head would surely explode.

"You know her." Well, Yoko never was one to beat around the bush.

_I should have known. _Yomi nearly sighed in aggravation, refraining from rubbing his temples to soothe the sudden headache. Of course his ex-partner would be able to read his confusion and distortion. It was one of the silver kitsune's abilities, being able to read and understand emotion. Curse Yoko and his ability to pick up even the slightest changes in his body. While he himself had needed years to train his new appendages, Yoko had already been in possession of such a gift. Yomi had always resented that little tidbit about Yoko; how the kitsune was always so observant. He was always watching, studying those around him with those dark, sunset eyes of his. Grudgingly, Yomi realized it was a huge advantage, especially when it came to being a thief. And Yoko truly was the best of them all, even better than Kuronue, Yoko's new partner and Yomi's personal eyesore. Personally, Yomi disliked the bat, simply because he had done what no other demon had accomplished. That demon had singularly won the trust and companionship of the most elusive kitsune in all of Makai. How he had, no one knew, but their friendship was certainly unmatched and Yomi was under the impression that either of the two would die for the other. Bizarre.

"How do you know that priestess? And how much do you know about the crisis in the Makai?" Yoko butted in rudely, ears conveying sheer anger and threatening aggression. Yomi picked up the slight slur in Yoko's mannerisms, realizing the kitsune was severely pissed off. Yomi almost smiled. He would give anything just to be able to see what his old partner looked like right now. No doubt his hair was atrocious and his eyes were flashing between coldness and wildfire. The kitsune never did like it when he got blood on himself.

"No, I do not know her…at least not in the sense that you are implying," Yomi countered, unwilling to get into this now. "But I have met her once or twice and we did not converse much as she was always in the presence of a rather rude and overbearing demon. Funny, he sort of reminded me of you, Yoko." His lips twitched and he fought back the laugh he knew would be his undoing. Although his powers had grown greatly, now was not the time to get into it with the kitsune, especially since Yoko was always tricky. With the silver bandit, it didn't matter who had the most power; it was all about skill and finesse and cunning. And Yoko had more than enough cunning to last him several generations. Yomi sighed when he could still feel his old partner staring at him, no doubt wishing his assassination attempt was successful. "Be patient, kitsune," he growled, finally losing his patience a little bit. "She'll tell you later if she wants."

"Patience?" Yoko growled, ears twitching madly and eyes flashing maliciously. "And what would you know about that?"

Yomi forced back the anger rising to the surface, knowing that Yoko was simply trying to get him to ride to the occasion. But Yomi was no longer the young, cocky demon he once was. He had learned much after his ex-partner's betrayal and he knew he would just be giving Yoko what he wanted, should he give into his anger.

"Yoko," Kuronue interrupted. As much as he was slightly entertained by the interplay between the two most quirky demons he knew, stopping his friend from causing more problems would probably be beneficial at this point.

Although he had never met Yomi, he knew who he was; hell everyone knew who he was, at least in the thieving industry. Yoko had told him about his past and his betrayal of Yomi and it was something Kuronue had no problem getting over. As far as he was concerned, he and Yoko were friends, not business partners. Their relationship wasn't anything like any of the previous ones between Yoko and anyone else. Oh sure they went on heists and stored their goods together, however their relationship was not brought upon by greed, merely by two demons seeking companionship and finding it in someone totally unexpected. Contrary to most beliefs, their relationship had taken a long time to build, both Kuronue and Yoko distrustful by nature and from past regrets. Most people tended to believe they saw each other and instantly grew attached, falling in love or at least becoming lovers, but it was a bit more complicated than that. From the moment Kuronue had decided to view Yoko as an ally rather than a threat, their relationship changed momentously and Yoko had soon come around, seeking out the kumouri for his expert assistance in spells and spell-casting. Yoko was spectacular at breaking spells, but he wasn't infallible. And the kumouri clan possessed all sorts of knowledge about the intricacies of spells and wards. It was no small wonder how well they balanced each other out.

They were such opposites it was hard for anyone to believe they were partners, let alone friends. But instead, they were like Yin and Yang, silver and black, night and day. Where Yoko was fair-haired and dark skinned, Kuronue's hair was just a shade darker than the sky, almost purple in contrast, and his skin was as translucent as the moon. Plain and simple, they were quite the formidable pair.

"Kuronue?" Yoko waved a hand in front of his friend's face, surprised that his friend hadn't already noticed the fight was over, not that it was anything spectacular. Most of the enemies had fled when the woman had unleashed her powers, though only a few brave souls continued to toy with their lives. He and Yomi had stopped their griping when they noticed the swell of miko power in the air, both bristling and trying to avoid the suffocating purification when they noticed the kumouri zoning out. The priestess now stood a few feet away, shaking her head in disgust as the assassins from Makai were sent packing. She still had her arrow trained on the aqua haired assassin, but she had too much honor to shoot anyone, even an enemy, in the back. Besides, he would get his soon enough, she was sure. He could certainly hide from her, but he couldn't run forever. His arrogance would make him seek her out once more and only then would she end his puny existence.

Yoko, who was standing silent, ever impassive, was personally amazed that one woman had scared off the enemy, a bit peeved that he himself hadn't been able to do much else but stand there and look like an idiot. Perhaps he was slacking or something.

"Hm?" Kuronue looked around, blinking slowly and taking in the silent scene. "What happened?" He noticed that the threat seemed to be null and void, no trace of those assassins at all.

Yoko sighed. "What have I told you, Kuronue, about paying more attention to your surroundings?" The amusement was clear in Yoko's voice so Kuronue let it slide…for now.

"I guess she scared them off," Yomi commented, noticing the tiny smirk on the miko's face as she was obviously listening to the brief interlude between the kitsune and kumouri. The Lord would never admit it to save his life but he found himself more impressed than ever with the King of the Makai, Sesshomaru (as much as he reminded him of Yoko) and that the powerful Inu had managed to acquire such a treasure was an amazing feat. Yomi reminded himself he ought to question her later and see just how she came to be in contact with a lord of Sesshomaru's…pedigree.

"Lord Yomi?" All three demons looked up when the miko spoke so politely, Yomi's ears perking with the soft lilt of her sweet voice.

"Miko," he addressed her, surprising Yoko and Kuronue when he bowed stiffly. They were even more surprised when the miko huffed a bit and shuffled forward, rolling her sparkling blue eyes playfully.

"That is my title, My Lord, not my name." Still, her eyes were sparkling when it appeared she was only teasing him and not truly offended.

They were again surprised when the demon lord chuckled and bowed lower this time. "Lady Kagome, it is then." Kagome smiled, only seconds later the smile fell into a tight frown.

"Is it bad, Yomi?" She questioned no one bothering to ask what she was referring to. Grimly, Yomi nodded once and the priestess looked disturbed, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. After a few moments she looked to the two demons standing silently before her, both tensed as if expecting to be purified the moment she looked at them or breathed in their direction.

"And who are your two friends?" Her head tilted slightly and she glanced between Yoko and Kuronue, eyes zeroing in on the long mark on the left side of silver kitsune's face and the right mark on the kumouri's, recognizing them as bandits. She shrugged inwardly. What did she care if they were thieves, probably dangerous ones at that; she could take care of herself and as of now they did not pose much of a threat because of their dwindling power levels.

"Yoko, Kuronue, meet Lady Kagome, miko and ally of some very powerful demons," Yomi introduced. "Although I still have to wonder how she came to be in acquaintance of them I will refrain from questioning her further…for now." If he still had his eyes, they would be twinkling merrily when they picked up the amused scent coming off the priestess.

"I'm sure," she replied smoothly, crossing her fingers behind her back. _Not._ She had no intentions of sharing her secrets yet…or if at all. Truth be told, she did not know Yomi very well, only haven spoken to the infamous man on a few rare occasions. And while he was always pleasant and cordial with her, she still didn't trust him very well. It wasn't anything he had done specifically it was just in her nature to be suspicious of others. From too many years spent under the guidance of too many ruthless people, she knew how to keep her secrets safe, lest she expose herself to any enemies that may still have it in for her. Kagome smiled coolly at Yoko and Kuronue, studying them just as much as they were studying her, finding herself a bit unsettled when they continued to regard her as a potential threat. Good heavens, were demons really that afraid of her? For some reason, it made her feel slightly depressed. For the most part, she loved all beings, demon or not, and she did not like giving off the impression that she couldn't or shouldn't be trusted. "Please don't look at me that way," Kagome found herself saying, eyes pleading with the two bandits to understand that she was not going to purify them. "I have no intention of harming you or anyone. I simply came to find my son."

"Your son?" Yoko asked, finding his voice for the first time, the delightful baritone sending shivers up Kagome's spine. For the first time she realized just how beautiful these new demons were, but she was determined to ignore the tiny portion of her mind that told her she should do something about it. Kagome rolled her eyes inwardly. She must have picked up some kitsune traits from Shippo if she was experiencing such thoughts. Inwardly Kagome was amused and briefly wondered if her son had his own deep thoughts to contend with now. After all, he was a big boy, no longer the tiny kit he once was. She wouldn't expect him to go through his whole life and not find someone to love, if only for a brief moment.

Yoko didn't know what he did to make the miko smile so beautifully, but he was sure willing to do it again if she smiled at him like that. Only, the woman wasn't smiling at anything particular. She had a far off look in her eyes and she looked faintly amused. Her body was relaxed and there was softness in her aura that was unlike any that Yoko had ever encountered before. Her soul was pure, giving off an innocent light, though the tiny smudge of darkness in her aura told him she had experienced many disheartening events, perhaps even life changing.

"Shippo is my son," she nodded her head towards the deeply sleeping boy. "He's the kitsune that brought you to my temple. Welcome to the Higurashi shrine, the home of my family. You may stay here if you wish, or you may go and seek shelter elsewhere."

"Pardon me," Kuronue spoke up, softly but with several questions flashing through his expressive eyes. Kagome's eyes moved away from the kitsune to meet those of his partner. "But why would you, as a miko, allow strange demons to nest in your home, let alone call one your son when he is clearly not a hanyou?" Kuronue's eyes were deep and suspicious, but Kagome sensed only confusion in his voice and not fear?

Kagome wondered how best to answer his questions. She did not want to tell them any real information about her, however minute the information was. But Shippo was still her son and she would always love him as such. Demons would never understand that a miko was truly capably of loving their enemy even if it was just a family bond. "Even though he was not born of my flesh, he is my son simply because I love him as such. And as to why I am allowing you entrance into my home, it is simply because there is no other place for you to be. It would not do to have any humans discover that the things in their nightmares really do exist." She smirked playfully at the kumouri, amused when he gave a slight chuckle.

This woman was unlike any they had ever encountered before, even in their long line of life. She was pure, although not innocent, kind, yet aloof in nature, and she apparently cared for a demon that was not of her own flesh and blood. She was surely something extraordinary.

"I would be most obliged, Lady Miko, to be accepted into your home," Yomi bowed to her, already striding towards the tiny house that stood behind a large tree. Kagome smiled at Yomi before wordlessly staring at Kuronue and Yoko. With a glance, they too decided they would stay here.

"Thank you," Yoko murmured to her. "We are very grateful to you and your son for showing us such kindness. We probably wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him allowing us to follow him. You obviously raised him extremely well. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." He bowed smoothly to Kagome and kissed her hand gently, inwardly amused when the briefest of blushes rose up her face and kissed her cheeks.

While her face lit with semi-embarrassment, Kagome's eyes warmed and lit with a distinct maternal pleasure. She was in fact very proud of her adopted son. Whatever he had been through these last few centuries surely hadn't changed him on the inside as much as it did on the outside. It made her feel better knowing that someone, a demon even, had learned how to trust others and to do the right thing in all situations, even if it may mean sacrificing some portion of yourself to do so.

Kagome moved away from the demons and strode over to her motionless son, stooping down and touching his face gently. She was about to lift him up so she could help him into her home but was startled when she noticed Kuronue and Yoko come up beside her. "Please allow us to aid you," Kuronue murmured, crouching beside her and lifting her son all the way to his feet. Kagome remained crouched before the ground, eyes following her son's trail until he was standing on his feet, slouched between the two bandits. The auburn-haired kitsune was breathing lightly and his eyes remained closed, but Kagome could already feel his energy returning. By morning her son would be fine, although he would still carry some left over bruises.

"Thank you," Kagome murmured softly, before standing up and heading towards the house. "Please follow me."

Kagome led the way up the walkway and onto the porch where she paused before the demon lord. Yomi was propped up against the door, arms crossed in front of his chest, black hair hanging low, and he was leaning slightly against her door. When he felt her presence, he moved aside and followed her in, soon joined by Yoko and Kuronue.

It didn't take long before she had them all settled down for the night. For the moment, she had Yoko and Kuronue sharing Souta's room. The younger boy was spending the night with his friend and would not return until sometime the next day. Yomi, she allowed to stay in the guest room, the demon lord nodding to her in thanks before closing the door and turning in. Before she showed the two bandits to their room, she told them to bring Shippo into her room where she proceeded to strip her son down and heal his wounds.

She worked smoothly and efficiently under the watchful eyes of both bandits. She wondered why they found it necessary to stay with her when she was only tending to her son, but did not think once about turning them away. They obviously found her interesting and she found herself reveling in the peacefulness she felt, knowing she was amongst demons again. It had been a long time since she had been in such powerful presences and truth-be-told she had missed it very much. When she was finished healing the worst of her son's wounds, she turned to the emotionless demons.

"Would you like me to heal you, as well?" She asked, noticing that both demons carried an impressive array of wounds, as well. Her eyes traveled over their chests, noticing the bloody scratches and deep bruising in and around their ribs. Kuronue nodded and allowed her to heal his wounds, though he winced when she tried to get near his partner. He knew Yoko's pride would never allow another to heal him.

"Do not worry, I am fine," he protested, backing away from her.

"Are you sure?" Kagome frowned, pouting slightly. Their was a nick on his ear that she desperately wanted to tend to, though a part of her only wanted to touch his ears and see what they felt like. Her hands clenched into tiny fists and she screamed at herself. _Do not touch, must not touch, no don't…too late._

Before Yoko even knew what happened, the lady was already upon him. His eyes were clenched and there was a snarl on his lips, but the growl died out as soon as it started. His eyes popped open and there she was. The miko, who had just so recently sent Reikai soldiers running for the hills just by threatening them and barely lifting a finger, was now standing on the tips of her toes, rubbing his ears for all she was worth. It was all he could do not to give into her questioning fingers. What she was doing felt really, really good. Yoko held in the shiver threatening to consume him. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that he knew (somehow) that Kuronue was laughing at him, he probably would have indulged her a bit longer. But as it was, he could practically feel his partner's amused, violet eyes burrowing into his back. So half heartedly he reached up and took hold of her tiny hands, pulling them away from his ears and holding them away from his person. "Miko," he growled. "Please do refrain from touching me in such a manner, lest your foolish actions lead you onto dangerous grounds. The consequences may not be to your liking."

Kagome's eyes widened and she backed away. She met his golden eyes and instantly read the double meaning in the kitsune's warning, noting the glazed over pleasure in his fiery depths. She instantly blushed and cursed herself inwardly for allowing her main weakness to get her in trouble…again. She really had to break the habit of touching things that looked cute on the outside, but were undoubtedly deadly on the inside. "I'm so sorry," she apologized, sputtering profusely. "I don't know what came over me." Kagome's eyes met and clashed heavily with those of the spirit kitsune and for a good minute the two had no words to say.

Of course that was until they both became aware of the slight titters of the kitsune's partner. As one, both miko and kitsune stared at the raven-haired demon, who looked slightly pained. For a moment Kagome feared she had missed something while tending to his wounds and that perhaps he was still injured. That was until she caught the twinkle in his darkening eyes and the growl in Yoko's throat when he realized his friend was laughing at him.

The startled miko didn't even have time to blink before both bandits were gone, disappearing without a trace and leaving behind only the wind. Her head quirked to the side as she gazed around curiously, wondering what that was all about…until she heard the tell-tale signs of Yoko's grumblings and Kuronue's broken laughter from in her little brother's room. She gave a slight chuckle when she heard the kumouri teasing his friend from down the hall, only to hear a gasp of outrage from the kitsune, just before a loud thump fell against the wall. Kagome presumed it was someone's head, for everything fell silent once again. She fell asleep that night feeling more content with her situation than she had in a long time. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe things would turn out better than she expected them to. And as she wrapped herself around her shivering son, Kagome slipped into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep, allowed the peace to overwhelm her senses and lull her into darkness.

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Well, that's it! There are no breaks so it should be long enough for you all. I have no idea what's to come next well I know the plot, I just haven't thought of how to get there yet. Well thank you for all the great reviews...and to the people who left death threats threatening me to update all myotherstories or they would kill me...well screw you! Apparently no one has ever heard of writer's block or boredom before. I'm glad you like my work, but there's no need to cuss me out because I haven't updated. I don't consider that a flame or anything, but just know that I don't appreciate the cussing and swear words. If you want me to update, that's not the way to do it. I'm not mad, not really, just please be more considerate next time and perhaps I'll review faster. For the rest of you, my loyalists, I love you all. You're all my inspiration and I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to review! So thank you and please continue sending your reviews.

Um, let's see, any questions that some of you had are answered on my livejournal. You can find that by going to my profile and clicking on the link to my homepage.But you'll have to dig a bit to find the actual entry with my responses since I've updated a few times since I posted that particulary entry. Oh, and I didn't respond to anyone who signed in anonymously. If you have any more questions, I will answer them again after you review!

Ja ne

Kura

P.S. I miss you, Kage! This is for you when you get your internet started again. I miss you, little sister!


	3. Answers

Looks around guiltily Okay I know I was gone for a long time and there is a good reason for this. The reason is...I had writer's block! Seriously. And I've had a serious lack of inspiration. But I'm back and suddenly got the urge to write this update. To my surprise it practically wrote itself and it took me...let's see, 3 hours to complete it. And boy was it long. Anyway, in this chapter you'll find out some startling information about Kagome you never dreamed possible. It's almost A/U but it's basically what happened to Kagome before she went back to the past. I hope you all like it and I'm sorry for taking so long! I promise I'll attempt to write some other updates later. For now, just be content with this chapter please.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

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Answers

Chapter 3

The next couple of days Kagome and the demons were content to stay well away from each other. Yoko and Kuronue were in total agreement that they had no reason to trust the miko, although admittedly she had invited them willingly into her home, something practically unheard for a priestess to do even during their long lives. Nevertheless, they had lived a long time and trust did not come easy for either bandit. They had decided that for now they would treat their host with respect and pray that she would not rescind her offer and purify them in their sleep. Instead they had come to the conclusion that they would rather seek her out should they need anything, and much to their surprise the miko was the same way. She had at first seemed foolish in her actions, inviting demons to live in a miko's home, indeed. What kind of human, miko even, would allow bandits to live in her home and neither be afraid or worried that her family would be safe from either their greed or simply themselves? True, they were not mindless oafs and would never kill without reason, but the miko's home was fascinating and she did carry an impressive amount of weapons and contraband (Yoko knew, he snooped) some of which Yoko was sure was either stolen itself or carried along through several family generations. Either way, he and Kuronue both had at one point or another, gotten the itch to steal something and as it is they were getting quite bored of simply sitting around waiting for something to happen or for someone to fill in the blanks and at least explain what went down in the Makai. But the miko had stayed away, preferring to stay with her son or to speak to them through her family.

Every day she had food prepared for them and brought to their room, courtesy of either her mother or Souta. Upon returning home and discovering that Kagome had yet again invited guests to stay with them, something that had been occurring for far to long in grandpa's opinion, the Higurashis took everything into accord. Souta, like always, was overjoyed. He had been fascinated with demons from the moment he met Inuyasha. and Kun-loon trusted her daughter in all her endeavors and was assured that if her daughter had allowed these three thieves into their midst, that they were to be treated as honored guests. Her daughter was a sensible woman and would not put her family in harm's way.

Yomi was the only one that Kagome had actually spent time with in the three days that they had been cooped up and out of sight at the shrine. Most days Kagome and Yomi enjoyed simply sitting outside and conversing quietly in the shade of the God Tree. Yomi found Kagome and her family extremely interesting and took great joy in studying their social interactions. Although grandpa was the head of the family, seeing as Kagome's father was non-existent, Kagome was the one who often took control in any situation. She was the one who had defended them all from her grandfather's attempts to 'purify' them. She was the one her brother went to if and when he had a problem. She had taken to training the young boy, who was now fifteen, the age she had fallen down the well and started her journey. He had a minimal amount of priestly powers and Kagome was an awesome teacher, having much patience with a growing hormonal teenager. Yomi also enjoyed Kagome's mother. Kun-loon and Kagome seemed to have a great relationship and her mother had raised her well, transforming her daughter into a well-spoken, lithe creature that probably would take his breath away should he ever gain his eyesight back. All in all, this family and this miko were drastically different from any humans he had ever met in the past. It was no wonder that the seemingly cold-hearted lord of the Makai had taken to the miko. Anyone who spend any amount of time in her presence would come away feeling awed. She had definitely earned his respect and was quickly gaining his trust. She had made no threat against himself or the kitsune and his companion, and the fact that she had apparently adopted another kitsune spoke volumes of her character.

Kagome herself had spent a lot time studying all three bandits, although she was sure neither the fox nor the bat were aware of her information or how she acquired it. Yomi, she was sure had heard her spies thanks to his impressive hearing, but she had more respect for Yomi and knew that he would answer her honestly should she have questions. She rarely had one of her spies watch him, choosing instead to keep an eye on the other two at the moment. She had to admit Yomi was an interesting man, a demon who had almost died thanks to the craftiness of his ex-partner, the silver partner that was currently residing in her home. She was at first worried that there would be fighting between the three, but Yomi had assured her, through reasons beyond her comprehension, that he had forgiven the kitsune a long time ago. How anyone could forgive a person who had betrayed your trust, even if the person was just a comrade, she had no idea, especially when the person had almost killed you. But she let it go, determining to keep the past in the past. After all, she was dealing with enough of her past at the moment. She didn't want to get into the business of someone else's when it wasn't any of her business in the first place. As it was, Sesshomaru apparently held this demon in high regard, something which was nearly impossible to do. Impressing Sesshomaru was something that had taken years for Kagome herself to accomplish and she knew if the old dog trusted him, she would too.

Of course that didn't mean that she spilled any of her secrets. No, she was still very tight-lipped about her past, choosing to answer Yomi's questions very carefully, although she got the sense that he didn't want to pressure her in any way. They mostly spent time talking about the present, about the human world, and about her son; the son which was currently lying on his side beside her.

Kagome had to admit she was a bit worried about him. He had been sleeping on and off since he'd been there, catching a bit of a fever on his second night there. Kagome couldn't imagine what he had been through in the past week and had taken to sleeping right beside him, wishing to protect him should the need arise. Although she had never told Shippo about this, Kagome did have some enemies in this time, some not entirely human enemies. She knew Shippo was going to be heartbroken she had been keeping secrets from him, she had only been trying to protect him. But now that he was old enough to understand, she was hoping he wouldn't hold it against her when she told him the truth about her past.

The miko gave a tired sigh and rubbed her eyes, sitting up on the bed and sliding Shippo down her body at a more comfortable angle. Her legs were falling asleep and the one arm around his shoulders was beginning to go numb. His lashes fluttered and she couldn't resist leaning down and kissing him on the cheek, brushing the rust-colored strands of hair away from his eyes. He was so cute now. She gave a light giggle. Her little son, all grown up. She especially loved his ears, a fetish stemming all the way back even before the first time she'd seen a hanyou all those years ago. But his ears were larger and fluffier than Inuyasha's or the other hanyou she'd known and she loved these quiet mornings where she could just lie in bed and pet his ears. Her own senses came alive when she heard the light treat of feet coming from outside of her door. She lifted her head just enough to spot her mother quietly opening the door and peering into the darkened room.

Kagome smiled and continued rubbing Shippo's ears.

"Good morning, mom," she whispered.

Kun-loon smiled at the tender scene and had to hold back the flicker of pain when she realized just how grown up her daughter was, a daughter that had her own grown up son to deal with. Her mother had to admit Shippo was a very handsome boy and it made her heart swell at the tender way her daughter cared for the kitsune.

"Good morning, Kagome," she greeted quietly, crossing over to pet Shippo's ears as well. Kagome suppressed the grin. Like mother, like daughter or in their case it was like daughter, like mother. After a few moments of silence and scratching noises, Kun-loon turned to her daughter. "Honey, I was informed this morning that your guests wish to speak to you."

Kagome's smile dimmed and filled with acknowledgment. She was willing to bed they were anxious to get a move on and find some answers. She had to admit she'd been afraid to tell them the bitter truth, although she was sure they'd come to their own conclusions given the extreme circumstances of their arrival. But it was time, she knew it was inevitable. "Okay, I'll be down in a few minutes. In the mean time why don't you take grandpa and Souta out today, I have a feeling this confrontation won't be pretty."

Kun-loon frowned. "Are you sure, dear? Maybe we should at least leave Souta here."

"Momma," Kagome whined, although she grinned again. "Don't worry about me. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a big strong miko and I can take care of myself."

Her mother smiled back. "I know. But I'm your mother and it's my job to worry about you, no matter how grown up I think you've become. You understand, seeing at how worried you were over my grandson."

Kagome glanced down at her son, remembering the worry and pain she had felt when she arrived back home, knowing she wouldn't see her son until he was fully grown. She had been depressed for weeks, knowing she would never get to see him grow and experience that aspect of raising a child. But she knew in her heart she had taught him well and that his instincts would never leave him astray. He would find her again, she was sure of it.

"It's hard to believe how grown up he's become," Kagome whispered, throat clogged with her rising emotions. "Kami, momma, I missed him so much. They didn't let me see him grow up." A tear slipped down the side of her face. "They didn't let me see him grow," she repeated, collapsing against her mother when Kun-loon sat on the bed and hugged her daughter tight. After a few moments, Kagome got her bearings straight and pushed her mother away. She felt bad upon seeing the dismissed look on her mother's face, but Kagome just hated appearing weak and whenever she felt weak, she pushed people away. It was something she started doing long ago, even before falling down the well and the only person she allowed to see her full emotions was Shippo. Her son was the only one she could count on not to judge or ask questions. He would just cuddle his little body in the crook of her neck and allow her to hold him as tight as she could.

"Well," the miko spoke. "I'll see to our guests. Don't bother cooking for them this morning. I can do it later after we have our 'talk'."

Kun-loon recovered quickly, as resilient as her daughter. "Sure. Perhaps we'll spend the night in the city for a few days. It will give you some privacy and time to figure out what to do with them."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks momma, I love you."

Kun-loon smiled and shut the door. "I love you too, Kagome."

"Who was that?" Kagome almost jumped when she heard her son speak. She gave a gasp and realized that during their talk, her son had sat up and was staring at her curiously. His hair was draped all over the place, in a mass of disarray after being dirty and days of thrashing about in the midst of his fever. He was staring at her with a mixture of bizarre horror and insane happiness. For a moment the two simply stayed at each other before Shippo reached over and pinched her.

"Ouch!" Kagome jumped. "Shippo, what was that for?"

Shippo giggled mischievously. "I just wanted to see if you were a dream. And I'm still awake so apparently you're not."

Kagome rubbed her shoulder and pouted, though she couldn't resist rubbing his hair and giving it an extra hard rub. "Then why didn't you just pinch yourself?"

Shippo shrugged. "I figured it would hurt."

"Wimp," Kagome teased and instantly dragged her son into an intense hug. "Kami, Shippo, I missed you so much."

Kagome grinned against his mother's neck, still wrapped tightly in her warm embrace. It felt so good to be in such a comforting hold again, it had been even longer since someone had touched him in this way. "I missed you too. So who was that, was that your mom?"

"Yep! That's your grandma. Come on, get up and take a shower. We need to meet the others downstairs."

"The...others?" Shippo asked before remembrance flashed across his face. Fear came flooding into his eyes before Kagome hugged him once more.

"Don't worry, you are safe here. But you do need to know what's going on and I don't want to have to explain twice. It's a long story and...I have some things to tell you that will be unsettling, things I've never told you before."

"Okay," Shippo agreed, wondering what kind of secrets, standing up and instantly realizing he was naked. His cheeks flushed and he grabbed the sheets off the bed, wrapping them a few times around his cold body. If she were anyone else but his mother, Kagome might have been embarrassed at seeing him in such a state of undress. As it was, she simply burst out laughing and teased him relentlessly about how he was so grown up and he wasn't her baby boy anymore. Shippo finally growled playfully when she started spouting fake tears and proclaiming that he was man.

Kagome laughed and also stood up and shooed him into the bathroom. The door hadn't closed for a second when Shippo returned. "Momma?" he asked, remembering something from before.

"Hm?" she raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "What it is?"

"Uh," he scratched behind his head. "What's a shower?"

* * *

Yomi, Kuronue, and Yoko were all sitting in the kitchen when, much to their surprise, Kagome came down the stairs, a kitsune trailing after her, practically shadowing her footsteps. "Hello, boys," she nodded pleasantly, directing Shippo to a chair beside Yoko. Shippo glanced hesitantly around, as this was the first time he'd gotten a good glance at any of the demons he'd brought with him. He gave a start when he realized all their attention was direction on his mother. He gave a slight growl of warning and gulped when he became the center of attention.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Oh for Kami's sake. Men, I swear," she grumbled under her breath knowing they all could hear her. "Yoko, Kuronue, Yomi, meet the person who probably saved your lives. This is Shippo. Shippo, Yomi is one of the Lords of Makai, and Yoko and Kuronue are both bandits."

"Bandits," Shippo glanced at them suspiciously. "You'd better not steal anything while you're here."

Kagome eyed her son, noticing he'd grown mentally just as much as he had physically. He was defending her home, willing to protect her from anything and probably able to do it now, too. She decided not to reprimand him for being rude. She wanted to see what the others would do should Shippo continue pushing buttons. She too was testing them, wondering about their own self control.

Both Yoko and Kuronue growled, though Yomi found the kit's comments amusing. "And if we did," Yoko couldn't resist goading the kit. In truth he wasn't angered over the comments, after all he reasoned that anyone would have good reason to worry when you had a practicing bandit residing under your roof. He was simply testing the younger kitsune, wondering just how deep his affections ran for this strange human miko.

"You would not get very far, I can assure you," Shippo spoke confidently and with some anger. He was still very suspicious of these demons. He had no reason to trust them, more so around his mother. He would not allow anyone to take her away from him again and that meant protecting her from all harm, including from thieves if need be. He was well aware that she could protect herself well enough, it was just his duty and a need that came from his kitsune senses to keep her away from any and all harm. "I am warning you, should you attempt to steal anything from my mother's home or from any of my other family members, I will see to it that everything is returned to her, even your bodies to assure her you've been taken care of."

Yoko bared his fangs while Kuronue's wings bristled. Yomi continued to look amused.

"You have nothing to fear from me," Yomi assure the red-haired kitsune. "I'm...retired," he glanced at Yoko with a slight glare, knowing exactly why he was 'retired'. "I give you my word as a lord, that I will bring no harm to anyone that falls under your protection. Such dedication is worthy of respect."

Shippo quirked his head to the side, wondering why this demon had given such a promise, though grateful for it all the same. Now as for the other two...he continued glaring at the silver kitsune before turning his head away and raising his nose to the sky, knowing it would anger the other kitsune to be dismissed in such a way.

"Shippo, that is enough," Kagome interrupted before things could get out of hand when she saw the look in the silver's eyes at being so blatantly disregarded. It was nice that Shippo wanted to protect her, immediate family included, but she did not need Shippo being rude and threatening demons that may be able to help in the coming months. She needed allies and she did not wish to have another enemy to deal with. "You are being rude."

Kagome glanced up guiltily, ears lying flat against his head. "Sorry, mother."

Kagome smiled and rubbed his ears, not able to resist his sweet, love-filled aqua eyes.

"So you do call her mother," Kuronue observed, finally speaking up. He had been cringing inside waiting for his friend to throw his whip or raise some nasty plant to feed on the other Kitsune and was grateful for the distraction.

"Sure," Shippo shrugged carelessly.

"Why?" he asked curiously. "I don't understand how such a thing is possible. You are not hanyou and she is not demon, of that I am sure, so why would a kitsune willingly call a human mother? As far as I am aware, kitsunes keep to themselves and allow no other family but their own to be so close."

"It's...a long story?" Shippo asked, more than stated, glancing at his mother and wondering what she'd told them.

The priestess shrugged. "It _is_ a long story," Kagome agreed, still not willing to dig into her past, "And we do have more important things to take care of at the moment."She glanced at Yomi. "I assume you have told them about the war."

"War?" Shippo asked, a deep chill settling in the pit of his stomach. All eyes were serious now and Yoko gave a tentative nod, knowing that Yomi had told them at least something about the goings-on in the Makai.

"Yes," Yomi stated tonelessly. "War."

Shippo's mouth dropped open and Kagome found herself sitting down at the head of the table. Shippo sat on her right with Yoko right beside him, followed by Kuronue. Yomi sat on the left hand side of the rectangular table.

"But...but why?" Shippo sputtered. He'd had no idea. Who would have the nerve? "What kind of war? Wait, you mean like a civil war?"

All eyes turned to Kagome who sighed. "Not exactly, Shippo. Civil would imply that it only involves demons. That would not explain the spirits who invaded the Makai and forced you four out. No, instead it is a war that has been over two hundred years in coming, brought on by those in the Reikai who believe it's time to finally be rid of all demons. I learned of it many years ago and have been helpless to stop its coming."

"But you are a human, how could you know such things?" Yoko asked, eyes glaring into her with deadly intensity. His hands were clenched into fists and his eyes were burning with rage. He hated not knowing things and he hated the fact that a human girl had known this was coming before it was directly upon them. He also hated the fact that he had been forced to hole out here, under the care and guard of a miko no less, instead of going back and fighting...or something. He felt...weak and he hated any kind of weakness, at least in himself.

"Yeah mom, how come you never told me about this?" Shippo asked.

Kagome sighed again and decided to simply get it out in the open. "I was in the Spirit Defense Force for the Reikai."

There was silence before. "What!"

Yomi did not speak, he had already come to that conclusion earlier, while both Yoko and Kuronue's eyes narrowed. She was an assassin, which meant she was dangerous and not at all what she appeared to be. They would have to be on their guard. "When I was 13 I came into contact with a spirit. I don't know why but ever since I was a child I've been able to see and sense things; ghosts, spirits, angels, call them what you will, but for some reason my powers ended up leading me to a powerful being named Enma. I was only a child, I had no idea who he was, but the only thing I did know was that there was something entirely unsettling about him. He was different from other human spirits and didn't appear to be human at all. Enma realized at once what I was, told me I was a miko and that I had immense power. He told me he wanted me to work for him and I balked. At first I didn't believe him. I denied the possibility and stopped talking to spirits altogether, not wanting to take the chance that any of them could tell what I was. But that all changed when I died."

A swift intake of breath and Shippo's head shot up. "You died! Why? How? Who did it? Why didn't you tell me?"Shippo cried in outrage. "That doesn't make any sense, mother. How are you alive now if you've died before? You can't just will people back into existence."

Kagome grimaced. "You're right, you can't...at least if you are human."

"But you really did die?" Shippo looked hurt. "You died, mother, and you never told me? How?"

"A demon," Kagome answered truthfully, raising some eyebrows. "You see it turns out I had something he wanted, something I had no idea how to give him even if I wanted to."

Shippo's eyes widened, knowing immediately what she was talking about. "Was it the Shikon no Tama?"

"Yes."

Yoko's mouth dropped open and Kuronue blinked time and time again, while even Yomi looked surprised at the revelation. "Then you are the guardian of the Shikon no Tama?" Yoko demanded. He searched his mind for what he knew of the jewel. He knew about it's formation and how it had been bestowed upon a young miko who guarded it until her death. Her death was surrounded by mysterious circumstances and he had no idea what happened to the jewel after the miko's death. Could this be the same miko? Or perhaps she was a reincarnation. That would explain why she had it in the first place.

"Yes."

Kagome didn't know how she sat still for so long trying to act emotionless and unfeeling about her past, all the while trying not to look into her son's eyes knowing how he must be feeling. She would speak to him later and try to explain herself.

"It doesn't matter," Shippo spoke up, strangely distant. "She can tell you more about that later. That, too is a long story, but I wish to know this one first. Please continue your story mother."

Kagome nodded. "Anyway, to make a long story short, I died and wound up in Spirit World only to be brought in front of the one spirit I had been avoiding. He told me about the jewel and about my powers. He told me that he would train me and in exchange I could be revived. I had no idea what to think, but I wanted to see my family again. The yearning is something fierce when you're dead. Your emotions are ten times as powerful as they are when you're alive and I wanted so badly to be with them again. So I said yes. He gave me this."

Kagome grimaced and pulled down a side of her kimono, exposing a small tattoo on her shoulder, though she didn't tell them what it meant. It was used in the Reikai to identify you, your rank, and your abilities. In a sense it meant that everyone in Reikai knew who you were and how powerful you are.

"I was brought back to life and immediately placed into a rigid training schedule by the finest warriors the Reikai employed. I was raised to fight and to kill and I was told that demons were evil and that the Spirit World protected the human world from hungry demons who had a thirst for human flesh."

"You...hated us, didn't you?" Kuronue asked bluntly. "They trained you to hate us."

Kagome noticed Shippo flinch when she gave a tiny nod. But she shrugged it off. "I didn't know any better. I didn't know what I know now about demons and humans. I didn't know that a demon could have a heart or that they were anything but the monsters who haunt our dreams. After all, my death was caused by one simply because I had something he wanted. I grew bitter and I hated and I killed many demons during my training. After all I was a miko who was born with the power. I did not die and then have my powers bestowed on me. I was powerful and I was trained extremely well. In time I had my own team and we spent time driving out all the demons of the human world. But I was young and I was smart and it felt good to be recognized because of your powers."

"You got cocky didn't you?" Yoko interrupted. "You felt invincible, that no one could touch you."

Kagome regarded the silver kitsune curiously, wondering what the distant look in his eyes meant. But she agreed and told him so.

Ah, to be that naive again. Yoko had made that mistake when he was younger, as had Yomi. It was a lesson that came at a price. He found himself understanding the miko a bit more...even though she admitted to killing his kind. "So what changed?"

For the first time since Kagome began her tale, she allowed a smile to cross her lips. "What else? I fell in love. I was sent on a mission to kill a demon who I was told had killed a few humans in cold blood. But as I said before, I was young and cocky and I made a foolish mistake in underestimating my opponent and his power. I thought I was dead again." Kagome's voice was tinged with sadness and pain, staring at something only she could see. "I can still feel his claws digging into my neck and I can remember just begging him to kill me."

"Why?" Shippo asked.

"I was defenseless, unable to fight back and I knew I'd be punished if I went back to the Reikai without killing my mark. Enma was anything but kind to those who failed him. Oh, I'd seen what happened to the few unfortunate souls who were unable to carry out their tasks and I had yet to fail once. But I was still young, only 14, a few months shy of turning 15. I was still quite fresh and I underestimated his strength. He overpowered me and I was near death when he withdrew. I thought he was going to leave me there, but...he didn't. Instead he brought me to his home and healed my wounds. I...I didn't understand. I was so confused. It was like everything I believed in flipped upside down. This demon, a soulless beast said to kill in cold blood, had healed me after I had tried to kill him. And, oh, was he beautiful. The demons I'd come into contact with before had all been lower class demons, easy to kill and easy to capture. But this demon, he was...different. He explained that he lived in the human world and had not killed two humans, but two demons in disguise that had come after his mother. You see, he was a half demon, his mother was human and his father had been killed by the Reikai long ago. I couldn't believe it. A demon, protecting a human? I had never dreamed it was possible, let alone that a demon could care enough about a human to produce a child. I stayed with him for a few weeks and over time I fell in love with him."

"Wait," Shippo butted in, scrunching up his face. He was starting to come around a little bit. He did not fault his mother for keeping this humongous secret from him. It was obviously something that had been painful for her, although he still couldn't believe she'd actually been dead for a short time. Kagome's death was something he didn't want to think about. "You fell in love with another hanyou, a demon before Inuyasha? Well...I guess that does make sense. At least now I know why you were so hesitant to get involved with him, to let your heart accept the inevitable."

Kagome smiled at her son. "That's right. You would have liked him, Shippo, he looked a lot like you in any case, a red kitsune like yourself."

"Another one?" Shippo mocked and Kagome chuckled, momentarily lifting everyone's spirits. Her story was quite unbelievable, and no one else knew quite what to make of it yet.

"Wait, you said would have?" Shippo questioned. "Does that mean..." he trailed off as Kagome's smile dimmed and her face cleared of all color.

"It...was raining...the night they came after us," she whispered softly. "I had gone to the Reikai. I confronted Enma and told him I wanted to leave, to be free and to live a normal life. Enma...was not happy.He tried to persuade me I'd been brainwashed." Kagome rolled her eyes at the audacity. "When that didn't work he gave me a choice. He made me chose between the Reikai or my love. He told me death was my only way out and that either way I chose, I would never see my kitsune again."

Kagome's smile was bitter and filled with regret. "He was right. Right there and then I told Enma to stick it and tried to flee. He ended up ex-communicating me and told me I was from that point on a wanted criminal. He fed the rest of Reikai lies, that I had lost my mind and had started consorting with a demon. Friends who had once stood beside me, were now my enemies but I didn't care. I loved my kitsune and I wanted to be with him. But when I got there..." Kagome's blue eyes were wide and haunted as she remembered the horrifying scene. She clutched her head, remembering all the blood, her frantic calls to her would-be mate. She closed her eyes, hiding the tears and just barely felt her son touching her shoulder and trying to calm her down. Kagome licked her lips, remembering the pain and the rage and the hurt. "They were...taking him away. My friends, my best friends, were taking away the one person who had showed me kindness when I was naive and ignorant. I tried like hell to stop them and get to him, but it was too late. They killed him right in front of me and left him lying in his own blood while they held me back and allowed him to bleed to death. Kami, I hated them all, I hated them more than I had ever hated a demon. I swore vengeance and killed every single one of them. I don't know what happened after that. I woke up at the shrine and my mom was crying. I was inconsolable for a long time. I tried to kill myself, to escape and join my mate on the other side but I learned soon after that as soon as he reached the Reikai they placed him in Spirit World jail. I knew if I even attempted to go after him I would die. It seems even after all these years, I'm still marked," Kagome whispered to herself, allowing herself one last glimpse of long red hair and emerald green eyes before willing the picture away, unable to look upon her first love. "But nevertheless, my ties with the Reikai are how I know about the war. Nobody is sure why Enma hates demons so much, word is that his wife was killed by one many eons ago. But he's been planning and plotting for years to overthrow the Makai. I didn't realize how soon it would occur, but I knew it wouldn't be long. One of my informants told me that Enma was planning to invade the Makai on the 500th anniversary if the barrier being put up. My informant was right." Kagome glanced at each face with tense reservation. "Boys, you are now involved in a full-scale war, a war in which Enma plans to exterminate every demon, regardless of power, station, or rank. He will not stop until every last one of you are dead."

"All of us?" Kuronue whispered hoarsely, unable to believe that anyone would have the will or want or even the means to kills millions of demons.

Kagome met his cool, unblinking eyes. "All of you."

* * *

Well that's it! I'll give you a few guesses on who her first love was and it was not Inuyasha! And yes, he is dead, sorry to have him killed, but for some reason that part sort of came to me. I just started writing and that's what I got. This is still a Kuronue/Kagome/Yoko and no Yomi will not be paired with anyone at the moment. He will have about the same relationship as Sesshomaru does, though not as close. And I have decided who Shippo's mate will be but it'll be a surprise. What else? Um, I'm sorry Kagome's past is so angsty and neither Yoko nor Kuronue trust or like Kagome yet. I wanted to try something different since I'm usually a fan of love at first sight. It'll take a few chapters before they finally learn to let her in. Don't worry, she'll be the same way but I won't make them hold out for long. As of right now I have no idea how long this will be or what direction it's headed, just know I'm continuing it. Okay, one other thing, I would like all of you to know that there are some of my stories on hold. I believe I've posted a note or two about them, but if anyone wants to know which stories please go to my livejournal account. There is a list in one in my past months that explains which stories I'm continuing on and which ones are currently on hold.

Anyway, thank you all for reading this and that it was up to your expectations.

Ja ne

Kura


	4. A Turn for the Worst

Konnichi wa, minna-san! It's been awhile, ne? Well have I got an update for you. Actually, I've had this on my computer for awhile now, I just didn't think it good enough to post yet. So I've been going back to this story every couple weeks and reading through it to try and make it good enough to post. And now I think I have. I've added some familiar faces so you should all be pleased. I hope you like this and be sure to read my notes at the end for any questions you might have.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha! Sorry, folks, but it's true.

* * *

A Turn for the Worst 

Chapter 4

"Amazing," a voice whispered and Shippo just briefly recognized it as Yomi's. Barely lifting his head he glanced over at the silent demon from behind partly closed eyelashes, a questioning look in his murky, aqua eyes.

"What is?" he sighed, slouching further in his chair, not particularly looking forward to the answer.

"I never understood how a demon such as Lord Sesshomaru came to be in acquaintance of such a powerful ally. But hearing her story and knowing that she has such power inside her, well it only makes sense that he would choose her as one of his allies."

Shippo rolled his eyes inwardly. He hadn't seen the old dog in more than 100 years, but even he knew that Sesshomaru did things of his own accord. If there was a reason he was allied with Kagome, it was not just because of her power or simply because she carried the Tama. No one else could understand that there was probably a deeper meaning behind their existing relationship. Many times in the past, Shippo had tried to seek out the few descendants of the friends he'd had during the Feudal Era, simply to try and remember a time when he didn't have to be strong and could let others protect him. Though by the time the barrier was put up, Shippo could no longer find any of the human descendants of Sango and Miroku or even Rin, his childhood playmate and so he'd gone into hiding, waiting for the day he would see Kagome again.

So, he reasoned, it was only natural that Kagome and Sesshomaru would grow closer due to their shared past. He was pretty sure their relationship was based on some deeper need to remember the past and Kagome was most definitely a great reminder of the past. She was the key factor, the only piece of information that had been lost to all but those who had been with her when the final battle occurred. The writings that had been passed down did not include her given name and Shippo was a bit grateful since everyone would remember a savior, but not her name. It meant she was safer that way. And with as many enemies as she probably had, it was most definitely a good thing.

Shippo paused with his inner musings and tensed when he felt the other two bandits' eyes upon him and he growled a warning, hating to be inspected in such a way. It made him feel quite exposed. It didn't help that he felt even more nervous around these three since his mother was no longer in the room, having left after her confession, no doubt to give him time to process the things he'd been told. It was certainly a lot to take in. And for once, he didn't follow her, knowing instinctively that she wanted to be alone and to grieve in relative peace. He would speak with her later and ask her personally why she had never told him any of this.

He groaned inwardly, wishing he had the answers to help her, but this time he was truly at odds with himself. One portion of his mind refused to believe that the sweet young woman who sat before him today, was the same one who used to slaughter his kind simply because of what they were. It was absurd if he really thought about it. His mother had shown him nothing but kindness, respect, and love. Of course he had seen her fight demons in the past, they all had, but she had never killed one without reason and she certainly never showed any personal hate towards demon kind. And she had always stayed behind, preferring to protect him and to let the others protect her.

She had been in love before! Before Inuyasha and with another half-breed? Whomever he was, he must have been something great, a demon who managed to sway her heart enough to see reason and truth. Shippo imagined he would have made a great father-figure and was angry that his mother had been deprived of a mate and then later deprived of her child, even if he didn't come from her body.

Although, Shippo paused mid-thought, this did somewhat explain her strange affinity for half-breeds. She was the first person who accepted Inuyasha without judging him by his blood and later came to care for him as more than a friend. She even befriended Jinenji, the strange half-breed who looked so outrageously ugly that no one should have been able to look past his outward features and see into his hidden, yet undeniably beautiful heart. But no, not his mother. She had spoken to him as if they were equals, had gone to him when she needed advice on her own healing abilities, had aided him in protecting his mother from uncaring humans, humans who must have reminded her of her younger self. Even Shiori, the bat hanyou he hadn't seen since he was a kit, had warmed up to the miko's caring heart. And as far as he knew, Kagome was the only human besides her mother that Shiori trusted.

"I just don't understand," Shippo whispered without thinking. "Why didn't I ever see it?"

"See what?" Kuronue asked, amethyst eyes flickering open and turning to gaze at the young fox. He had been lost in thought, mind slowly processing the things he had learned. When he raised his head and looked deep into the younger kit's eyes, he was surprised at just how many emotions he found. Pain, surprise, betrayal, love, understanding, passion, confusion, empathy, hurt, denial, there were just too many to count.

"How much pain she was in." Shippo finally admitted and then paused. "I always wondered why she was so sad all the time. I was younger then the others, but I always knew when she was hurting. She could hid her feelings from everyone else but me. I just always figured it was because of Inuyasha...or the Shikon...or every day stress...or something so I never bothered to ask her why her heart felt like it was crying, even when her face was smiling."

"Is she really the guardian of the Shikon no Tama?" Yoko asked suspiciously, wondering why the name Inuyasha seemed so familiar. Shippo glared, lifting his head, and Yoko was surprised a the amount of animosity showing in the red kit's eyes.

"You heard her," Shippo shrugged, eyes narrowing. "My mother may have kept some...details...from me, but she is not a liar."

"Impossible," Yoko scoffed, aching to uncover what secrets this tiny family carried. He knew he was pushing it, but sometimes the answers did not lie in a person's words, merely in their actions. "That jewel disappeared long ago. How could she possess it...here...now? And how could it have gone without notice? Surely the Reikai would have tried to confiscate such a jewel even after she was recruited."

"Well," Shippo looked thoughtful. "Probably because they made some sort of deal with her. I know my mother and although she certainly never asked to be the guardian of the jewel, she must have known she was the only one who could keep it safe. Enma must have thought that as long as Kagome was in his possession, so was the jewel and that once she trusted him enough, she may hand it over." Shippo let a small smirk slide across his lips. "He must have been so pissed off when she turned on Reikai. Leave it to my mother to caused such an uproar. She always did cause trouble where ever she went."

Yoko, Kuronue, and Yomi were surprised to see how young Shippo looked when he laughed. The years had certainly taken their tole on the younger fox. How strong he had to be to survive in the Makai for so long without losing his life.

"I wonder what happened when they found out the jewel broke," Shippo chuckled some more, anxious to hide the tears threatening to spill. He honestly didn't know why he was laughing. Nothing he said had been truly funny, merely amusing. But Shippo felt if he didn't laugh, he would break. Today had been a long day, even though it was only noon. His mother's story had taken its tole and he wanted nothing more than to curl up into her arms like he used to and cry himself back into sleep. He didn't care that she'd worked for Reikai. He didn't care that she had killed all in the name of a stupid, racist ruler who used her for his own.

"Ano...the jewel broke?"

Shippo caught the whisper by the black Kumouri and glanced at the elegant male, taking in the questions in his fathomless, amethyst eyes.

"What, shouldn't master thieves like yourselves know of such details?" he mocked, unwilling to give out any more answers today. His mother's past was her own and only she could provide the answers they sought.

Yoko frowned while Kuronue bristled slightly.

"It doesn't matter," Yomi interrupted before a fight could break out. Everyone's patience was wearing thin, even his own, and as much as he'd love to see what Kagome's son could do if indeed a fight did break out, now was certainly not the time. "That jewel is obviously none of our business and has nothing to do what's going on in the Makai right now. Maybe if you two are extremely nice, doubtful as I know how you are, Yoko, the miko will come to trust you enough to let you know what happened so long ago. Whether she does or does not has no baring on the present situation." Not that he wasn't insanely curious himself, but it was obvious the miko still had secrets she did not wish to part with. The red kitsune may have been able to shine some light on her past, but questioning him any further would not bare any answers, not right now, not when he was still loyal to only his mother. Yomi had studied the tiny family long enough to know her son would never betray any of her confidences.

Yoko fought the war inside himself and grudgingly knew that Yomi was right. But it was in his nature to be curious and the miko had more than enough secrets to keep him curious for another 1000 years. Finally he conceded and relaxed, only to realize that a large presence had made itself known, one that didn't belong to the miko. His ears perked and his body tensed as he felt several strong energies washing over him like a waterfall. It was like an awakening and he was surprised at how long it took him to feel the energy. And speaking of said miko. She must have sensed it too as she came barreling down the stairs like she was being chased by hell itself. The woman was wearing her miko robes and her hair was wet and streaming behind her as she dashed into the kitchen and out the door without a word to her guests.

Shippo glanced at the other demons before standing up and scrambling after her.

"Should we follow them?" Kuronue asked. "It could be trouble."

But Yoko was already heading towards the door, Yomi hot on his heals.

What they saw upon finding the miko and other energies was more than what they anticipated.

* * *

A man-_youkai?-_was crouched low to the ground, carrying what appeared to be a very tiny woman on his back. Both the man and the woman were bloody and beaten but the girl's wounds appeared to be much greater when the man lifted the unconscious girl off his back and into his strong arms. Before their eyes the man's hair appeared to shift and began to grow in length, and small, blue tattoo-like patterns began covering his upper torso and biceps. Kagome was bent over both, peering at the smaller girl in outrage. "Get her into the house quickly!" she shouted to the male, barely sparing the others a look as she and her male companion raced into the house. "Put her on the table, Yusuke." 

The long haired demon carelessly swept out an arm and removed any obstacles in the way before placing the broken girl on the table. When the others got a good look at her, they were quite shocked at what they found. Not only was this woman a demon, but she was also an ice apparition. Shippo, who had followed after his mother, wondered who she was and why she seemed to be so important to her. But he was determined to help her any way he could.

"Mom, do you need any help?" he asked, already analyzing the girls wounds.

Kagome smiled gratefully and nodded, her bangs already beginning to perspire. "Yes, Shippo, I need you to boil me some water." She directed him to the stove, placed a pot in his arms, and told him to watch it until it boiled. She eyed the silver kitsune next. "Do you have healing herbs with you? I can heal her as much as my powers allow, but she is an ice apparition and has her own healing powers. It's hard to explain but sometimes the two powers cancel each other out and there's always a chance it won't heal her completely."

Yoko paused before nodding, finding it more than easy to comply with the miko's wishes. She had provided him and his partner a safe haven and had not once threatened them or tried to harm them. This would be his thanks. "Yes," he replied smoothly. "But I need to get a good look at her injuries before I decide what's to be done."

Kagome's face relaxed and softened as she moved back, speaking quietly to the angered male who growled when the kitsune moved closer to the table. Placing a calming hand on his arm, she held him immobile. "Yusuke, calm down, this is Yoko and he's going to help me heal her, but you must stay calm. Can you do that?"

The male's eyes flashed a brilliant red before fading into chocolate brown. He sighed and moved back, but continued to keep a weary eye on the kitsune who was now carefully examining every cut, bruise, and abrasion he could find. Apparently he found something that was worse than expected and Kagome saw it as well, lifting the girl and almost dropping her when she saw the large cut on the small of her back. "Damn, what did they do to you, Yukina?" she whispered out loud.

"Mother, the water is done," Shippo told her and Kagome thanked him quietly. She and Yoko quickly got to work while Kuronue and Shippo pitching in where ever they were needed. Kagome set about cleaning the wounds while Yoko got out several plants he would need and started mixing several pastes in the many bowls scattered all around them. Kagome rolled up her sleeves and began trying to heal the worst of the damage, first clearing the blood away from the larger wounds so they wouldn't become infected. "Shit," she cursed when she accidentally opened a cut further, not even bothering to wipe of the blood from her haori when it splattered a bit on her chest. Not pausing in her work, she reached for the nearest set of stable hands. "Shippo, give me your hands please." Kagome tugged her son down and placed a few towels onto the wound before placing his hands on top. "Hold still and do not let up on the pressure. We do not want her to bleed to death." Shippo nodded and pressed down hard, amazed when he could feel the coldness of the blood beneath his touch. He shivered.

"It's so cold," he whispered and Kagome nodded sympathetically.

"She's an ice apparition, Shippo, she's cold blooded and no matter where she lives or comes from, her blood will always remain cold. It's what helps freeze her tear gems should she cry."

"Here," Yoko leaned over and handed Kagome one of the bowls. "This will help clean the wounds out further, as well as stop the blood flow. Place this on all her wounds and be sure not to waste any. I need to see the wound on her back as it is the most serious and could kill her if not tended to soon."

"Okay," Kagome agreed, knowing the kitsune was right. She was grateful in that moment that Shippo had managed to find one of the only breeds of demons that was so adept at healing. Kitsune who could heal were some of the oldest and rarest in existence. She hurriedly set about apply the paste-like substance and then bandaged the minimal wounds before asking Yusuke to come forward and hold her up so she and Yoko could tend to the wound on her back. Yukina let out a slight whimper when she was placed on her stomach and Kagome shushed her, placing a hand on the girl's forehead. Yoko set about applying a watery substance to the long, narrow cut and glared at the wound when the blood washed away. Indeed, the cut was long, about five inches and an inch or two deep.

"This wound needs to be shut before I can heal the skin. Do you have any thread?" Kagome wordlessly nodded and directed Kuronue to a nearby table that housed all her medical supplies. The miko nodded to the bat in thanks and opened the box, pulling out gaze, medical tape, needles, and thread. Absently she threaded the needle and began stitching up the wound, wincing every time the girl cried out in her unconsciousness. Hearing a growling coming from Yusuke, she started questioning him, hoping to keep his demon from coming out again. Yusuke was a formidable foe, even when he was in human form. But Yusuke, when he lost control of his demon, was a force to be reckoned with.

"What happened, Yusuke?"

Yusuke growled, calming himself again and rubbing a hand through his shaggy hair in frustration. "Those stupid assassins tried to come after me again. But Enma should know by now, it's going to take a lot more than the tiny group of weaklings he sent to kill me. Anyway, I took care of them easily and decided to check on Yukina since I figured they'd go after her next, those idiots never did play fair. I got there just in time to see one of them sneak up behind her and jam her with a dagger. I blasted the fucker's head off and grabbed Yukina, knowing that I had to get her to you before you-know-you discovers his sister was almost killed." Yusuke smoothed a piece of the poor girl's hair behind her neck, brushing her soft skin with soothing fingers. The girl let out a whimper and Yusuke drew back as if he'd been struck, vowing to kill every last one of those Reikai officials the next time he encountered any of them.

Suddenly another large presence arrived in the nearest vicinity and both Yusuke and Kagome looked up and gulped, meeting eyes and snapping their gazes to the window, looking horrified. "Yusuke," Kagome whispered, reaching back, nails biting into upper arm and tearing the flesh away like it was nothing.

Across from her, still working on the girl, Yoko glanced up and was shocked by the almost terrified look in their eyes, wondering what was happening. This was the first time he'd seen her show true fear. He'd watched her when she was talking about her past and her eyes had always been shadowed or lurking with sadness. Who on earth would have the power to scare the wits out of an ex-assassin?

Her eyes darkened and her power swelled around her, making the others step back. "Yusuke, stop him," she trembled violently. "He can't come in here. He'll kill us all if he discovers Yukina like this."

"Right," Yusuke nodded. "Don't worry, I can take care of him." Yusuke let loose a smirking sneer. "It's been awhile since we've had one of these." With that, the Toushin let lose a wave of power that caused the new demons to freeze with the sheer force behind it. Kagome's own powers itched to destroy such a powerful demon, but she was the master of her own power and controlled the burning urge to destroy. Yusuke fled out the door, not bothering to close it and the mistress paid it no mind, grateful her family wasn't home to be involved in any of this.

While she and Yoko worked tirelessly on Yukina, Kagome forgot about time and about the battle outside as she turned her concentration back to her poor friend. She and Yoko worked tirelessly for another hour and a half until the girl had so many bandages she resembled a mummy. Kagome was about to remove the girl and place her some place safe when a body came flying into the house...one that did not use the door. Kagome's mouth dropped open in anger and she barely missed colliding with Yusuke's flailing limbs as the wood, plaster, and paneling gave way under his body weight and the force of the energy behind him.

"What did you do, you idiot? I told you to stop him, not play airplane!" She screeched, pulling him into a standing position after he dizzily sat up. Shippo would have laughed at his mother's comment had the situation not turned serious as a dark blast of energy was currently trying to barrel its way inside the house. The miko wasted no time in placing a pink barrier around her kitchen, momentarily blocking the dark energy.

"Well I'm sorry, wench!" he snapped, shouting in her face. "But if you couldn't tell, our little friend out there is in a demon rage and you know as well as I how hard it is to stop him when he's like this. And Kami, would you stop your screeching, it gives me a headache."

"I'll give you more than a headache if you don't get out there right now and-." The miko stopped in mid rant as he barrier gave way under the enormous pressure.

"Too late," Yusuke shouted as he grabbed Kagome and dove to the right when a short man with blazing red eyes zipped into the room, a very sharp sword swinging wildly. It was obvious the man was in a demon rage as he wasn't trying to hit anything in particular. The dark, fiery energy practically consumed his body and yet the man appeared to be unharmed and unfazed.

"Crap," Kagome muttered. She sat up and zipped to the table, picking up Yukina and placing her in a startled Yomi's arms. "Yomi, please take her to my room. She'll be okay now that we have all of her wounds treated, but if we aren't careful Hiei could burst in an accidentally kill her. Once she's in there, you can close the door and a barrier will form. This will block her scent from reaching Hiei and keep her from potential harm." Yomi nodded and gently held the girl in his arms, disappearing from sight.

"Now." Kagome turned back to the angry fire apparition. Her eyes widened when she felt more than saw the wave of heat billowing around his body and about to explode like a canon. His aim was directly centered on the black-haired Kumouri. "Move, fool!" Kagome cried, pushing Kuronue out of the way and taking a hit that would possibly killed him. She stumbled awkwardly and would have lost her balance had her son not caught her arm and stilled her swaying body.

"Are you okay, mother?"

For a moment, her eyes were unfocused before they began to bleed a blue color and she pushed her son away now intent upon reaching the enraged apparition before he could cause anymore damaged to her house, and particularly her son and anyone else under her protection at the moment.

"Hiei," she whispered and pulled out a shiny piece of metal from her hair, something she knew would distract him long enough for her to get a hold of him. His head snapped to the left and that split second was all she needed. She disappeared, only to appear right in front of him, slamming his body like a rag doll into the wall behind him. She forced an arm up against his throat and kept her body pressed against his in order to keep him still. The fire demon thrashed in her arms as she growled at him in warning. "Stop fighting me, Hiei! You will listen to me and calm down. I don't want to have to hurt you, you stupid apparition." Both powers clashed and fought for control as Kagome released her delicate hold on her miko abilities. No, she wouldn't purify him, but she would do anything to stop him. Hiei normally wasn't one to fly off into a rage, but when he did he was one powerful demon. She knew normally Yusuke would have been able to beat him earlier, but when Hiei was angry like this, Kami help anyone who stood in his way. "Submit, Hiei," she whispered, trying to soften her voice and calm him, and Yoko recognized the double meaning in her statement. Whoever this Hiei was, he must have fallen under her rule somewhere along the line, however bizarre it was to be ruled by a human. She must be very strong to have such a strong demon fall under her supremacy without challenging her for leadership, which meant he either didn't care for power or she had more than he could contend with. Either way she held all the cards at the moment and if this Hiei did not watch it, he could be severely punished when this was all over.

Kagome was lost in her own world, her powers rapidly taking control and she knew this was going to be a difficult fight to win on her own. Hiei was nothing, if not difficult to command. He was very much his own demon and did not like that fact that a human held power over him. It was Sesshomaru who had found him first, wounded and unable to fight, and instead of dismissing the tiny demon, the cold lord had taken him into his home and healed him, eventually earning enough trust to earn the apparition's story. Hiei had been taken into the family almost immediately, though it took a lot longer for Kagome to earn his trust than any of the other demons mostly because of her ties with the Reikai and also simply because even if she was a powerful miko, she was still human. And Hiei had as much respect for humans as he might for an ant. He didn't like the fact that he ultimately had to go to her with a problem or issue, without solving it on his own or turning to another demon. As it was, she usually let him do his own thing most of the time, but right now she couldn't allow his demon free reign to hurt those under her protection, even if it wouldn't be intentional. She knew he would never hurt his sister, but even a demon in the midst of a blood rage could not control their actions enough to realize they were hurting a member of their family.

Yoko, Kuronue, and Shippo were all three in the midst of confusion, wondering how they should go about helping the miko, knowing there really wasn't anything they could do. Yusuke was watching with concern off to the side, eyes closed as he desperately tried to contact someone who could help. It didn't take long for him to catch hold of Kagome's partners and he gave a sigh of relief, knowing it would be a matter of seconds before one of them got there.

"What's going on?" Shippo burst out, shouting at Yusuke and delicately trying not to get in his mother's way as she kept her arms around the apparition, speaking to him quietly. "Who is that? And why...why is she glowing? Those aren't miko powers she's using."

Yusuke sighed and begged for the patience he usually lacked as his eyes caught a dim light beginning to circle Kagome's feet slowly, a blue ball of energy that began traveling up her legs in a spiral pattern and started to alter her appearance. Indeed it wouldn't be long for her transformation to be complete. He just hoped someone could stop her before that happened. He didn't necessarily think she wanted these newbies to know about this little aspect of herself. He dragged a hand through his hair and peered through his bangs at the kitsune who had addressed him. "That's Hiei. And Kagome looks like that because she's on the verge of transforming."

"That's impossible!" Shippo shrieked, uncaring if he was slightly out of character for himself. "She's not a demon! Tell me now or I'll-."

Yusuke growled and dragged the kitsune closer, fisting his hair in one hand and clenching a hand around his throat. "Do not speak to me that way. Do you have any idea what I'm capable of at this moment?" Yusuke's eyes flashed red and if you looked closely, you could see his demon markings appearing again like brands all over his skin. "If you want answers, ask them, but do not order me around because I can have you dead in a matter of seconds if I wished it, no matter if you are Kagome's son." He released the kitsune who gasped and stumbled back into Kuronue who steadied him. "I didn't say Kagome was turning into a demon. She isn't a demon, but she does have a spiritual form. Do you really think she could work for Reikai looking and appearing like a normal human being?"

Before Shippo could ask anymore questions a dark shadow enveloped his mother and Hiei and a body began to take shape directly behind Kagome. As he watched, completely flabbergasted, his mother sighed deeply and arms came from behind to gently touch the apparition before forming into a fist and punching the apparition directly in the stomach, effectively causing the fire apparition to gasp and hunch over before falling unconscious.

* * *

Well that's it. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'm sorry I once again took so long. I'll continue reading through my stories for any potential updates. Okay, a few things you should know. I was originally going to have Yusuke and Yukina be a couple. I don't know why, but I like them together for some reason. But things have changed, for one because I may eventually have someone else be with Yukina and an OC for Yusuke. I know a lot of people don't like OC's but I tend to use a lot when I write, mostly because I don't have an affinity for Keiko. So they are going to have a sibling bond. As to Yusuke's past. I suppose you could say it was sort of like the original. Yusuke did die and become a Spirit Detective. He met Hiei and Shuichi (Kagome's hanyou lover) the same way he did in the anime. However they never did go to the Dark Tournament, but they did meet Genkai and Yukina. I'm sure Kuwabara's in there somewhere, but I haven't decided where yet. Anyway, on a mission (I haven't figured out which one, maybe the Sensui arc or something or perhaps when Shuichi was killed) Yusuke died again and of course came back as a demon. And we all know how Enma feels about DemonYusuke, don't we? So ever since Yusuke arose as a demon, Enma's been sending his assassins after him and everyone he cares for. Even, you've seen, the defenseless Yukina. As for Hiei, his story will be about the same, too, only I'll have to add some backgroun as to how he came into contact with Sesshomaru and Kagome. And the last thing I wanted to tell you was that I have no idea who I'm going to stick Shippo with. I was originally going to throw in Souten and have her partnered with Kagome. I believe Souten will be in here, but I have since decided to add in Rin, Yukina, and Shiori into the running for Shippo's heart. If any of you have a preference to that, please don't desitate to add in your two scents. Just know that this is not a vote. The last decision will be my own. 

Okay, well I think that's enough for now, don't you. Hope you stay tuned for the next update, whenever that may be.

Ja ne

Kura


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